Non-clogging aerosol valve



W. G. GORMAN NON-CLOGGING AEROSOL VALVE Filed June 5, 1968 INVENTOR WILLIAM G. GORMAN ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,491,921 NON-CLOGGING AEROSOL VALVE William G. Gorman, East Greenbush, N.Y., assignor to Sterling Drug Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 3, 1968, Ser. No. 734,109 Int. Cl. B65d 83/06 U.S. Cl. 222 402.24 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are many different aerosol valves of the type having depressible delivery stems. Examples are US. Patents 3,019,947; 3,128,924, and 3,178,278. This type of valve has always included several different parts for the maih body thereof, and when used to dispense powders, paints, etc., they tend to become clogged. It is very difficult; to unclog or open a clogged stem of this type of aerosol.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a very simple aerosol valve construction which has been found to be substantially non clogging when used to dispense powders, paints, etc., materials which normally tend to clog an aerosol valve. The new valve comprises a one-piece main body housing of molded polymeric material, for example plastic, hard rubber, etc. and having an integral surrounding annular flange adapted to be crimped to the neck of an aerosol container, said body housing being generally cylindrical and hollow and open at one end, having a stepped centrally apertured floor at the other end, for the reception of the delivery stem, the stem itself having an annular flange fitting in the open end of the body housing, said stem being hollow for a part of its length and terminating in a laterally directed orifice, said orifice being aligned with one of the steps at the stepped end of the housing at the interior thereof, being held in this position by means of a more or less usual valve spring, said orifice however being capable of being positioned in the interior of the container to receive the aerosol product, said stem having a slight enlargement below said orifice holding the stem assembled in the housing against the action of the spring.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in elevation showing the valve construction with the crimping ferrule in section;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the valve closed; and

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the valve open.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIG. 1 there is a ferrule usually of thin metal generally indicated at and having a skirt or down-turned flange 12 for crimping the aerosol valve generally indicated at 14 to the mouth of a container for the aerosol material. This ferrule is substantially cylindrical and may be deformed at its open edge 16 to grasp 'ice the aerosol container at the top edge of the mouth thereof, at the same time the ferrule sealing an annular flange 18 in leakproof condition onto the mouth of the container. The ferrule has a raised central portion generally indicated at 20 for attaching the valve body housing to the container and this portion of the device has a central aperture 22 for the reception of stem 24 of valve 14.

The main portion of the valve housing in general is indicated at 26 and there is a smaller inwardly reduced coaxial portion 28 which slidingly receives and guides the lower portion 30 of the valve stem 24.

One of the important features of the present invention is that the entire valve body housing is comprised of only one molded part, the remainder of the valve residing in stem 24 and the usual spring 32 for maintaining the valve stem 24 in the normally closed condition thereof illustrated in FIG. 2. Upon being depressed as shown in FIG. 3, the valve opens for dispensing of the contents of the aerosol container.

The stem 24 is provided with an integral flange 34 which moves up and down in the annular chamber 36 in the main body portion 26 of the valve, acting to stabilize the stem, and as a reaction point for the spring 32.

The valve housing 14 is open at one end thereof as at 38, this forming an open end for chamber 36. Chamber 36 has a terminal inner end in the form of an inwardly directed annular shoulder 40 which may act to limit the motion of flange 34, see FIG. 3. The main body portion 26 of the valve then merges into the reduced portion thereof 28 having a chamber 42, and this portion of the valve housing is bottomed by offset annular steps as at 44 and 46. Step 46 contours the aperture 48 receiving the relatively narrow portion 30 of the valve stem'24.

The valve stem 24 is provided with an interior delivery passage 52 extending from an orifice 54 located trans versely thereof and extending to the surface of the narrow portion 30 of the valve stem so that when the valve stem is in its inward depressed condition, FIG. 3, orifice 54 and passage 52 communicate directly with the interior of the aerosol container. When the stem is released, the spring 32 returns it to its upward closed position, FIG. 2, wherein the orifice 54 is sealed from the interior of the aerosol by reason of a close sliding fit of the wall of the aperture 48 with the small diameter portion 30 of the stem. The orifice 54 is now located slightly above step 46 in the area of the step 44 and it will be seen that the orifice is not itself closed to the interior of the valve body, but is closed to the container,

The inner end of the valve stem is preferably provided with an enlargement at 56 and this holds the parts in assembled relationship, see FIG. 2, in conjunction with the spring. All of the parts except for the ferrule are made of elastomeric or plastic material of appropriate type, so the flange 18 acts as a sealing gasket, the orifice at 54 is sealed closed when in the FIG. 2 position, the parts are easily and very inexpensively made and assembled, and furthermore in comparison with the prior art, a nonclogging valve for aerosol dispensing of powders, paints, and other materials which are apt to clog is provided in a very inexpensive and simplified manner.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A valve for controlling the discharge of material under pressure from a container, said valve comprising a single unitary, generally hollow housing including a continuous wall forming a relatively large chamber, said chamber being opened at one end, another substantially continuous wall of smaller diameter integral with the first-named wall and forming a smaller chamber opening into the large chamber, said smaller chamber having an end wall closing the same and there being a generally central aperture in said end wall, and a surrounding substantially continuous exterior flange on said housing arranged generally adjacent to the junction of the two walls, said flange being adapted to be sealingly secured to the mouth of the container for the material to be discharged, with the wall of the smaller chamber extending into the container and the Wall of the larger chamber extending outwardly with respect thereto,

a valve stem, 2. portion of said valve stem being slidably guided in the apertpure in the end wall of the smaller chamber and at its inner end being adapted to extend into the container, said valve stem extending in the opposite direction through the smaller chamber and the larger chamber and outwardly of the latter through the open end thereof, a deliver passage including an orifice extending for a substantial length of said valve stem from the orifice, the latter being adjacent the end wall of the smaller chamber to the exterior end of the valve stem, a flange integral with and surrounding said valve stem and having a width substantially equal to the width of the larger chamber,

a spring, said spring having a reaction point on the inner portion of the end wall of the smaller chamber and another reaction point on said valve stem flange, and an enlargement of said valve stem at the exterior side of the end wall of the smaller chamber, said enlargement maintaining the stem in a position wherein the orifice there is located within the smaller chamher and the flange on the valve stem is located in a position substantially closing the open end of the larger chamber, said stem having a retractable motion against the action of said spring in a direction to place said orifice in exposed condition beyond the end wall of said smaller chamber into the container, for passage of material under pressure through the orifice and passage to the atmosphere.

2. The valve of claim 1 wherein the junction of the walls for the chambers is provided with an internal shoulder stopping the motion of the flange on the valve stem in one direction, the enlargement on the stem limiting the motion of the stem in the other direction.

3. The valve of claim 1 wherein the end wall of the smaller chamber is stepped interiorly thereof, the valve stem being arranged to lie within the range'of one of the steps and not directly in contact with the end wall when the valve stem is in closed condition of the orifice 4. The valve of claim 1 wherein the wall of the aperture in the end wall closely engages the valve stem and efiectively seals the orifice when the stem is in valve-closed condition.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,746,647 5/1956 Efford et a1. 222-40224 X 3,137,414 6/1964 Steinkamp 222402.13 X 3,186,605 6/1965 Potoczky ZZZ-402.24 X 3,237,659 3/1966 Albrecht 222402 .16 X 3,292,266 12/1966 Milcos 222394 X SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION January 27 197 Patent No. 3,491,921

' William G Gorman It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

line 46, "area of the step 44" should read area "elastomeric" should read elastometric line 72, "large" should read larger Column 3, line 12,

"apertpure should read aperture line 17, "deliver" should read delivery line 28, "enlargement of" should read enlargement on line 31, "there is located" should read therein is located Column 2, of step 44 line 53,

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of February 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer 

